"A Step Back in Time to Old Tehachapi" & Tehachapi Museum's Ice Cream Social

On Saturday July 26, "A Step Back in Time to Old Tehachapi" will be held at the Tehachapi Museum and Errea House Museum with activities scheduled from 12-4 p.m. Skills that were necessary to living in a rural area before the advent of modern supermarkets and department stores will be demonstrated, including quilting, woodcarving, weaving, spinning, basket making, tatting, butter churning, and origami.

Maggy, a camel that lives at Windswept Ranch, will be there for children to pet. Windswept is a local non-profit animal rescue center that is open to the public and has a petting zoo. In prehistoric times, there was a breed of camels in the Tehachapi area and you can see a fossil of that breed's footprint in the Museum, as well as a bone, found in Tehachapi, from a prehistoric Mammoth.

In the Museums you can also see well-worn household items that were actually used in the 1800s. There is also currently an exhibit of home crafted needlework and household crafts. The Errea House Museum showcases a 1900 to 1939 rural lifestyle.

In the Milano Gallery, the exhibit on the Kawaiisu Native American tribe features beautiful baskets from the Williams Collection that are over 100 years old. Janice Williams, a descent of those basket weavers will be on hand to demonstrate the ancient basket weaving techniques used by the Kawaiisu. The exhibit gives an insight into the local Native American tribe that originally inhabited the area.

Vintage cars from local collectors will be parked in the area to add an "old time" flavor. While downtown, take a stroll around Downtown Tehachapi and look at the interesting old homes and visit the Tehachapi Depot and the Railroad Museum to get a more complete picture of Tehachapi's past.

The event promises a fun and educational time for adults and children. A big part of the festivities will be the annual Ice Cream Social where you can enjoy a scoop or two of ice cream with your choice of toppings. Come visit with friends and meet new neighbors.

There is no charge for admission to the museums or the craft demonstrations. Ice cream, served at the Errea House, will be $1 per scoop. The event is sponsored by the Tehachapi Heritage League and will take place at 310 South Green Street in Downtown Tehachapi from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. For more information, call the Museum at 661.822.8152.